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A cross between Pirates and Civilisation

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: May 06, 2006
Author: Amazon User

Don't be concerned about the subject matter, this game about trading in the time of the Hanseatic League (a powerful trader's union in Northern Europe around the 14th century) is huge loads of fun. It's detailed, pretty, has a meticulous attention to detail and lots of avenues to pursue your goal of becoming the leader of the Hanseatic League itself, from honourable Patrician to cut-throat pirate.

It is open ended, you can keep playing forever and keep adding ships and trade routes to your trading empire. Some people have managed to get hundreds of ships trading goods all over the European coast at the same time! However, once you get past a certain point, the user interface becomes very cumbersome, especially when planning, implementing and changing auto-trading information (auto-trading is a feature whereby you can tell a ship what to buy and sell, and at what prices, and then leave it on auto-pilot. Without this feature the gameplay would become cumbersome much sooner).

A cut'n'paste feature for auto-trading would have been extremely useful, as well as the same feature applied to your town storehouses in the beginning (this latter feature is available in the patched versions).

Nevertheless, you won't regret buying this game, as you'll get dozens or even hundreds of hours of playing time out of it before the interface becomes annoying. Or, you could just play it as a Pirates-style game and become a buccaneer or a pirate-hunter - the sea battle mini-game is really fun (but if you don't like it you can have your ships fight automatically)! Most of the time you will dabble in all these things, as well as building your own production factories, farms and businesses.

A must-have game if you like strategy or logistics, empire-building, or you are a history buff.

Patrician II - CD Rom

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 2 / 7
Date: September 13, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Hello Out There:
If you have a job and work for a living this game is not for you. It has many qualities-realistic scenes, authentic schemes,interesting intrigues, many fun things-but you will spend the rest of your life catching on to any undergoing themes which could facilitate and make your playing the game, fun.
For some it can be a "highly" challenging game. I'm not sure who they are.
The game is intricately thought out and without a doubt, a jewel, if you can learn to memorize pages of information and critiquing before attempting the game. Have fun!

Very addicting!

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 7 / 7
Date: July 22, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Who would have thought a game about the Hanseatic League could be so fun? I barely knew that the Hanseatic league existed. I never normally rate stuff 5 stars because most products are not perfect, but in my opinion Patrician 2 is as close to perfect as any computer game is going to get.

I chanced upon the game while surfing Amazon. When I saw it for $... at the PX boy was I glad I bought the game. I was very pleasantly surprised with Patrician 2. The game does not have flashy graphics but it is one of those games where you think you played for a half an hour and 2 hours have gone by. Patrician 2 combines Sid Meierýs Pirates and SimCity. You can build buildings to rent, businesses, and ships. You can trade within your own town or other towns.

The best thing about it, is that it is open ended w/out cumbersome missions to perform. One can take many different routes as an honest trader and businessman or a cutthroat pirate. As a member of the underworld you can bribe politicians (and what politician doesnýt like bribes?), burgle your competitors, hire pirates, or become a pirate yourself.

The ONLY stuff that might turn off players, in my opinion is that the game is brain intensive. You have to learn the profitable trading routes which for me meant writing down commodity prices at first. You have to keep track of your businesses as well. If you want a game where you will just veg out, Patrician 2 might not be as fun.

Split down the middle...no end in sight

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 4 / 5
Date: June 06, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Great starting and lots of fun up until you have so many ships and need to set up auto-trading... wow! what a pain in the [rear]!!! It took me over a half hour of repetitive manual entries to set up only ONE ship for auto-trading. Multiply that by 20 or 30 trading ships... OR you could do each one manually from port to port while you try to explore out into the atlantic and into the medeterainan for unknown ports. Then I never did reach the end of the game... I had offices in every town, millions of gold, a hundred pirates working for me, hundreds of trading ships and fleets. Was elected to the highest office. Where is the end? I never found it.

Totally addictive and engrossing

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 4
Date: April 20, 2003
Author: Amazon User

This is one of the most mentally challenging games I have played, the best trading sim I have yet come across. It is about as far from the shoot-em-ups that seem to dominate the market these days. The money and recognition doesn't just come flowing in after a couple of hours; you need to do some real planning and have some good management skills if you want your trading empire to be a success. Get ready to watch the hours fly by, once you get the hang of the game. The historical detail and graphics are extremely nice. Aesthetically, this game is a real treat to look at. If you enjoy history, and you need a game that requires some brain power rather than a quick trigger finger, then this game should be considered, at least until Patrician III is finally released into the American market.

A Thought Provoking Gem

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 8 / 8
Date: January 28, 2003
Author: Amazon User

A trading simulation about the Hanseatic League probably generates a number of yaws among most gamers. However, this game elicits the same "just one more turn" feeling that I had when playing the various Civilzation games, Imperialism 2 and Europa Universalis I & II.

You are a trader in the North/Baltic Sea are in the 14th century. Your overall objective can be to become the Alderman of the Hanseatic League, but you can choose another objective. Since this is an open ended game, you can become a pirate and be a plague upon the other traders. You can play it straight and supply your hometown with all needed goods (20 in all), and build a happy and prosperous town. You can become Lord Mayor of your town, and are then responsible for it's defense from not only pirates, but from the local lord. You can try to build up your hometowns population to the maximum possible, and then move to a new town and try to maximize it's population. You can become the League's monopolist for wine, iron goods, cloth or any number of goods. This is why I like this game so much; the different ways you can play or combine the different aspects.

They are many other features such as exploring the New World well before Columbus, dealing with informers and thiefs, bribing officials, paying fines if you decide on a not so honorable path in life, building not only ships, but businesses. There is so much depth here.

You can play Patrician 2 via the internet, and there are contest game(s) available at web sites. These web sites also have actives forums which contain valuable information. I salute Strategy First for bringing this game to the U.S. market. There is a sequel called, what else, Patrician 3. I look forward to Strategy First or some other publisher bringing this game to the U.S.

Tough! Takes a bit practice at first but worth it!

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: January 11, 2003
Author: Amazon User

A great game! While most strategy gamers wont appreciate it at first and find it a bit complicating, it is still a great game in the end. Well worth the practice! I love the fact that I can take on many roles in this game. A merchant, a buisness man, a producer of goods, a pirate, a courier, a politician or many of the above mentioned or all of them! Great game!

Excellent work by Ascaron

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: November 03, 2002
Author: Amazon User

Patrician 2 is a unique game allows the player to try several avenues to attain different goals in the game. Wonderful graphics and intriguing gameplay make this game First on my list of Strategy Games of the last 5 years. Ascaron, the developers, Have come out with a new game called Patrician 3. It's the much anticipated game based on the same scenario but with new events, better graphics, more realistic natural and A.I. characteristics. The game is especially exciting as multiplayer. Patrician 3, now available in Europe, awaits an American publisher to ship in the States and Canada. I want this for X-Mas!

A must have!!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: October 19, 2002
Author: Amazon User

After several years being a video gamer finally I've found this incredibly addictive game. Patrician II definitively isn't like other action games that last just the weekend. Long term playing without boring, trade and fight for power and glory. Excellent graphics and music score; what a simulation!!
I'm waiting for the next releases from ASCARON SOFTWARE: Patrician III and Port Royale, also based in the old trading ages and piracy. Hunt or be hunted...

The RTS game that replaces the model train set

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 3
Date: October 17, 2002
Author: Amazon User

When I first played the demo for this game I found myself immersed in its realistic events. The challenges are daunting and the detail has that of a model train set that my father used to entertain himself with. After buying the game last spring I saw how the challenges in the game are to be overcome. While playing, a unique element of learning and discovery rewards me for my risks taken as a Navigator and as a Trader in the North sea. As I played on I discovered that (although the game can be played in the role of merchant, politician or pirate) my character in the game reflected my decisions in a way that mirrored my real self. This game is complex in design and yet very simple by way of economic structure. It takes attention to detail to enjoy the game, some may find it tedious, but once the gamer recognizes the exactitude and "organic" nature of the economic model, this game becomes rewarding as a learning tool and hobby.

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